11 Plus Exams Forum

Hi

Is anyone aware of any child commuting from Crawley to Tunbridge Wells Grammar school for Boys? If so, how does he/she commute & how long does it take? Is there a bus/ coach that takes children between these 2 destinations? Is this a realistic journey for a child starting grammar school? Would really appreciate opinions on this
Many thanks

Welcome to the forum.

I don't know about the bus options but the train journey would appear to involve going into London Bridge and out again and then a 20 minute walk from TW /High Brooms station to the school. Not really a great journey for an 11 year old.

Is this a school you are looking at or one you have already been offered a place at? If it's the former I really would suggest looking at the admissions policy for the school which is easily accessible on their website, after the higher ranking criteria the majority of places would be allocated on distance from the school. Do have a look and then come back with any questions.

I would be extremely surprised if places at Tunbridge Wells Grammar school for Boys were offered as far as Crawley. Frequently boys in the North of Sevenoaks do not get offered places in the first round of allocation, and Sevenoaks is considerably nearer than Crawley.

Subject to that, I do know of a boy who travels from Crawley to Tonbridge to go to school. His mother drives him to a station on the Redhill to Tonbridge line from Crawley each morning so that he can travel from there to school. Quite a palaver. It has definitely impacted his social life living so far from school. He is looking forward to going to a sixth form college nearer to home. Tunbridge Wells Grammar would require a further change of train at Tonbridge to get to High Brooms and then a long walk as Doodles explains. I definitely don't think it is a sensible commute ( assuming that a place at the school is offered).

Apparently 1 hour by car, there is also a bus looking on line the 291

In my opinion the 291 bus is completely unrealistic!

It leaves Crawley Bus Station at 06:35 and gets to Bennett School at 8:28 it is then about a 10 minute walk to TWGSB. The later bus leaves Crawley at 07:28 and gets to Bennett at 09:25. The latter is too late and the earlier one is a tight squeeze for registration.

On the return journey the bus leaves Bennett at 15:55 and gets to Crawley Bus Station at 17:48 or there is the 16:40 from TW which reaches Crawley at 18:18.

I would not inflict this journey on an 11 yo (or any child for 7 years)! As others have said I'm not even sure a child from Crawley would get a place.

Leia2018 wrote:Hi

Is anyone aware of any child commuting from Crawley to Tunbridge Wells Grammar school for Boys? Most definitely not, no

If so, how does he/she commute & how long does it take? Er, there aren't any girls at this school, the clue is in the name

Is there a bus/ coach that takes children between these 2 destinations? Is this a realistic journey for a child starting grammar school? It really isn't, no

Would really appreciate opinions on this
Many thanks

Do you really not have any suitable schools nearer to where you live in Crawley?

Thank you everyone, really appreciate the time everyone has taken to reply....

Not very familiar with Kent so wanted to ask the question & gauge if it was realistic to get a place there.

My older son needs a more challenging environment/peers, at the moment he is at the top of his class in both English & Maths but has no one he can compete with. He is also someone who likes to be like his friends, so if they are going at a slower pace, then he will happily coast along. But we are not sure if we want to commit to a house move, we also have his younger brother to consider, who will probably do well in any decent school.....dilemmas of a parent.
Thank you so much

Ignore all the rude comments from Kent residents . The journey from Crawley to Tunbridge Wells for a student is possible if you are prepared to drive your child part of the way.
From Worth end of Crawley it is a 24 min drive to Colemans Hatch . Here you can catch the direct Arriva 286 bus which stops outside Tunbridge Wells Boys Grammar and Skinners.
It would mean a total journey time of just over an hour.
I do a similar journey with my daughter who is at WOK . She has no issues with the commute and is really enjoying Grammar School.

Err first of all, LocalmumTW, there are girls at TWGSB, my daughter is one! They have a mixed sixth form.

To the OP, commuting from Crawley - sorry but think you would be mad! I know there is a bus but it takes forever. The amount of time your poor son would spend on the bus would far outweigh the benefits of going to a grammar school IMHO. I travelled to school in TW myself from Cowden and that was bad enough (but living in the sticks you had to travel wherever you went to school).

Also although historically you might not get a place from Crawley, bear in mind that this year the PAN for TWGSB is 240, up from 180, so it might well be that someone from Crawley could get a place. One of my children at TWGSB had a child travelling up from Eastbourne every day which (again IMHO!) was a bit bonkers.

twellsmum wrote:Err first of all, LocalmumTW, there are girls at TWGSB, my daughter is one! They have a mixed sixth form.

To the OP, commuting from Crawley - sorry but think you would be mad! I know there is a bus but it takes forever. The amount of time your poor son would spend on the bus would far outweigh the benefits of going to a grammar school IMHO. I travelled to school in TW myself from Cowden and that was bad enough (but living in the sticks you had to travel wherever you went to school).

Also although historically you might not get a place from Crawley, bear in mind that this year the PAN for TWGSB is 240, up from 180, so it might well be that someone from Crawley could get a place. One of my children at TWGSB had a child travelling up from Eastbourne every day which (again IMHO!) was a bit bonkers.

I stand corrected! I have lived in TW for over 10 years and honestly had no clue TWGSB takes girls in the 6th form, apologies